History Behind Issue: Beginning
of a new crossover by Kurt Buseik in the Marvel Universe.

Preview Text:

The great galactic powers of the
universe have gathered to deal with a globe they perceive as a threat, but
is that world the rampaging Ego the Living Planet—or Earth itself?
Featuring appearances by Professor X and his cadre of mutant Skrulls, the
Silver Surfer, the Inhumans, the Starjammers and the Avengers Infinity team!
The action storms across the Marvel Universe in October—so be here to see
how it all starts!

Plot Synopsis written by
Marvelite:

This issue begins with some Skrulls
addressing representatives of more civilizations from eight galaxies at
the council planet Selandiar.The
Skrulls tell of how Professor X and a group of mutant Skrulls named the
Cadre K are protecting Skrull mutants from the Skrulls’ effort to
cleanse their race and destroy mutants as they are born.They claim humanity is a menace that interferes in their cultures
and that the council needs to act on it.

Presiding over the council is Lilandra of
the Shi’Ar Empire.She
defends humanity and tries to move on to another issue.The Skrull uses this to point to her alliance with the humans.Other civilizations then give their views.The Kymellia say humanity has been of aid to them, while the
Toryjans call for their extermination.The Skrull Ambassador, Kreddik, demands the issue be heard and
judged by the M’Ndavian Justice, the most perfect legal system in
existence – its judgment gems monitors the thoughts and emotions of all
that are present, finding their innermost beliefs.If all of its gems turn white, the verdict is not guilty, while
black represents a guilty judgment.

Lilandra realizes she cannot avoid the
situation and not keep herself and her empire in power if she does not
submit to the M’Ndavian Justice.She
agrees that the issue will be brought up, but assigns Avios to select a
neutral party to first prepare a full report on the matter.She then moves to the next matter of business: A merchant race
called the Ruul wish to join the council.They had already sent delegations to many of the council’s worlds
with gifts of technology and knowledge.She then introduces Sintariis, the High Kronaster of the Ruul, to
address the council, when they are suddenly interrupted by a report that
Krylor, the planet of one of the civilizations represented in the council,
has been destroyed.They then
watch images of the planet being destroyed by Ego, the Living Planet, who
first demands the planet to awaken.When
it does not, Ego destroys the planet.Then it moves on, in search of a planet like itself.The other civilizations panic that their planets and homes are now
in danger as well.Lilandra
reassures the ambassadors, though, that together they can defeat Ego.

Later, we see that Ego’s rampage is
causing hostility between the ambassadors.One suggests that they ask the humans for help, while others mock
the idea.At the same time,
Lilandra watches as the gems begin to turn black, as more and more minds
are made up against the humans.The
Ruul then pay her a visit, saying they will do everything they can to help
defeat Ego.Days later, a Shi’Ar fleet attacks Ego, but fails to defeat
him.Instead, their fleet is
destroyed and many lives are left stranded and in danger.Ego plans to absorb them, more as a warning than as substance, when
Silver Surfer soars in, putting a field around the sentients to get them
to safety and warning Ego.Silver
Surfer departs and rescues them, as Ego warns him not to interfere.

The report on
humanity is then given to the council.It admits that the humans interfere whenever they feel justified by
social standards, sometimes the effect is good and sometimes bad.The report reveals that humans and human allies are currently
in numerous places beyond their system interfering, including the ally of
the humans Silver Surfer who they reveal had led Ego away from their trap
through his interference.

As the report
continues, more gems turn black.Lilandra
then considers telling the council about the Time-Keepers who they learned
through Shi’Ar Chronal Research is keeping the humanity’s influence to
a minimum, but she makes no decision.Later, Lilandra oversees the installment of Omni-Cannons on the
council’s planet to help defend against Ego who is heading to that
system.She then visits the
Ruul who are building a Psyche-Drone to help attack Ego’s mind.As she leaves, we learn the Ruul have more sinister motives, but do
not yet know what that is, except that they plan to put more pressure on
the council.

Five days later,
Selandier is attacked by Ego, who first attacks their moons.They attack him with their Omni-Cannons.She is urged to evacuate, but does not, for the same reason many of
the ambassadors will not: honor.Avios
warns that the planet will be lost, as the Imperial Guard will not be back
for at least a day and are spread thin as is.She then sees something on the sky and knows it is her past love
Charles Xavier and his newest students, the mutant Skrulls Cadre K.

The Cadre K land
on Ego in hopes of finding an opening in which to attack one of Ego’s
brains, but are quickly found by Ego and attacked his antibodies.Professor X then looks into Ego’s mind and is flooded by many
scenes of Ego’s past.Professor
X is convinced that they will not be able to reason with Ego and must
flee.As the Cadre K try to
fight the antibodies, Silver Surfer comes to aid them.

Professor X then
calls forth a young Skrull girl named Zcann to help him battle Ego’s
mind from above Ego’s surface.They
then unite their psyche powers and reach out to the minds of those on
Selandiar so that they can have enough psyche strength to battle Ego.Silver Surfer then blasts him as well.Already being attacked on two fronts, a Ruul devise attacks Ego as
well, giving the final blow and knocking the living planet unconscious.The Cadre K are all hit down by the attack as well, but then see
that the Imperial Guard are arriving and quickly depart, leaving Zcann
behind in the hurry.

A day later, as
the threat of Ego is behind them, some of the ambassadors insist that the
human allies helped defeat Ego, while others insist it was the Ruul who
ultimately defeated the living planet. The Badoon then mention Thor’s
recent battle with Thanos which stemmed from earth but threatened the
universe, and the Skrulls mention the death of Galactus and if they wanted
such power to turn against them.Then
someone asks what would happen if they tried to face these humans then,
but another insisted they should not be cowards.

Lilandra sees the
tide is turning against humanity.She
mentions Xavier showed valor against Ego, but the a Rigel mentions that if
it were not for Thor, Ego would have never came from the black galaxy to
begin with.Lilandra then
brings forth Zcann, now their Skrull prisoner.She asks her to tell them about Professor X.She tells of how she has learned from him and how the Cadre K are
now determined to overcome the fear and hatred their fellow Skrulls have
for mutants.But the
statement turns more gems black.Lilandra
then decides to tell them of the Time Keepers, only to hear from Avios
that the Time Keepers were killed by Kang, a human.All the gems then turn black and the judgment is made.They adjourn to meet on the appropriate action tomorrow.Later that night, though, the Ruul come to visit Lilandra, claiming
they have another way to rid the human influence without eradicating them.

To
Be Continued…

Review
by Marvelite:This
looks to be a very awesome cosmic crossover from Marvel Comics.There is not a large Silver Surfer influence in this issue, but the
story makes up for that, as we see the politics of the Intergalactic
Council turn further and further against humanity.Ego’s role was also very interesting in this issue as well, but
the Ruul may be the greater threat as the story unfolds.Jerry Ordway also does a good job with art, as we see many
different alien races from the Marvel Universe.This is definitely a Marvel event to watch!

Thor wages war with Ego, the world that’s actually alive! Continuing
Marvel’s efforts to bring you cool (and expensive) back issues at a nice
price, this 64-page volume reprints action-packed adventures that provide
important info on Ego, the planet-sized villain who plays a major role in
MAXIMUM SECURITY! First up is the living biosphere’s first appearance in THOR
#133 (by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)! Also included is another Lee and Kirby
masterpiece, THOR #160 and #161—a tale in which the Thunder God actually teams
with Ego to fight Galactus!

Amidst the storm of MAXIMUM SECURITY, Beta Ray Bill returns! Chaos reigns across
the Earth—but Thor and the Avengers Infinity team are trapped halfway across
the galaxy! And when the power of the Thunder God is needed on Midgard, there
once again appears the awesome alien known as Beta Ray Bill!

The impact of this story is that
Beta Ray Bill, who is not a human but an ally of humans, was
brought to Earth by the Galactic Patrol.

The planet-shaking conclusion! Beyond the Servitors, beyond the Walker, lies the
ultimate answer to the menace of the Infinites—a menace that the Avengers must
bring down! But can Earth’s Mightiest Heroes even get the attention of the
beings that are so far above human existence?

This story does not even cover
the Maximum Security logo, but the Avengers Infinity team will
appear in the crossover later on and the events of this four issue
mini-series are mentioned in the Maximum Security event.

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